The final pairing for the Munster Minor Hurling Championship is unknown after two cracking semi-finals tonight which saw Cork and Tipperary finish level after-extra-time, while Waterford progressed to the final. After both Cork and Tipperary had produced a cracking under 21 quarter-final at Semple Stadium a few weeks ago, the corresponding minor teams didn’t disappoint at Pairc Ui Rinn. Following 80 minutes of pulsating hurling, a replay will be required to separate these sides who finished 5-17 apiece after-extra time.

Amazingly Tipperary led by eight points at approaching half-time in extra-time, but Cork blazed a trail to edge two points in front before a last gasp goal for Tipperary put them back in front. Cork would have the last laugh with an injury time point from a 65′ and the sides must meet again – at a venue likely to be Semple Stadium next week.

This game produced end to end hurling, with Cork leading by the minimum on a 1-07 to 1-06 half-time score-line, with Jamie Coughlan netting the Rebels goal and John O’Dwyer finishing Tipp’s three-pointer. Cork began the second half brightly with Eoin O’Sullivan raising a green flag two minutes after the resart.

However Tipperary weren’t far from their southern counterparts, with Brian Stapleton adding their second goal, after his move to corner forward reaped dividends. It looked like the visitors had edged their way to a Munster final with a four-point lead late on, but Cork responded with 1-01 without reply.In the second minute of injury time substitute Brian Harnett completed a Rebel hat-trick to force extra-time at 3-12 to 2-15.

Tipperary looked unstoppable in the first period with David Butler and David Collins netting goals as they held a 4-17 to 3-13 half-time lead, having played against the wind. Cork however had other ideas on the restart, and left Tipperary shellshocked as an eight-point deficit quickly was wiped out to ensure the Rebels led by two. However, Tipperary struck for a late goal before Cork’s final point from a 65′ to ensure a replay date.

The Tipperary Minor Hurling team to play Cork in the Munster semi-final in Páirc Ui Chaoimh on Wednesday night at 7:30pm shows one change from the team which defeated Limerick in the quarter-final. David Collins comes into the team at left corner forward in place of Michael O’Brien. There is also a positional switch as Thomas Butler and John O’Dwyer swap places, with Butler named at centre forward and O’Dwyer at full forward.